One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

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Melbourne Football Club coach Paul Roos and wife, Tami have spent $2,525,000 on their Melbourne abode.
The purchase by the longtime Sydney residents preceded his recently announced decision to extend his term as coach of the Melbourne AFL side.
Roos played 354 games for Fitzroy and Sydney, taking charge as coach of the Swans in 2002. He led the team to the 2005 premiership before handing the reigns over to John Longmire at the end of the 2010 season.
After months of speculation, he was announced as the new coach of Melbourne at the end of last year, taking charge for the 2014 season.
The Elwood property is a four bedroom contemporary home designed by Tim Spicer Architects.
It was built by the vendor, Peter Lewin of Construct Group with pool, spa and double lock up garage on the 411 square metre holding.
It's within walking distance to Elwood beach and the village, where Roos enjoys coffees at the Turtle Cafe.
Property Observer gleans the price guidance had been $2.4 million to $2.5 million.
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Melbourne coach Paul Roos spends $2.5 million in Elwood

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Having moved to South Australia to be a physiotherapist at the Adelaide Crows, former AFL Richmond player Duncan Kellaway sold his South Yarra home last weekend for $820,000.
The property at 37 Hardy Street, <a href="/news">South Yarra</a> was bought by Kellaway, who played 180 games with the Tigers, for $173,000 in 1995.
On moving to <a href="/news">Barwon Heads</a> in 2009 to work with Geelong Football Club, he and his wife Alex rented the semi with a $495 a weekly asking rental.
They have decided that now, with four children, they are not ever going to get back to the two bedroom cottage with rear studio.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-south+yarra-117123691" target="_blank">Rob Vickers-Willis and Sam Goddard of Abercromby's</a> were quoting $800,000-plus.
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Former AFL player Duncan Kellaway sells South Yarra semi

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The Collingwood defender Nathan Brown failed to sell his Brighton apartment at recent weekend Melbourne auction.
Its listing following his recent purchase of a $1.14 million, two bedroom 1910 Brighton cottage.
Brown, who isn't expected to play again this season after recent shoulder surgery, bought the first-floor apartment in 2010 for $610,000.
But the highest bid at weekend auction was $580,000. But it has since been <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/8-36-well-street-brighton/Property-Details-buy-residential-7151247" target="_blank">listed at $550,000 plus price guidance</a>.
He lived at 8/36 Well Street with his fiancee Liana Flood until putting it in the rental pool with initial $575 weekly expectations early 2013.
The two bedroom apartment, built in 2008, features two en-suite bedrooms.
Nick Johnstone, of Nick Johnstone Real Estate, was quoting $550,000-plus in its pre-auction marketing.
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Collingwood's Nathan Brown yet to offload Brighton apartment 

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Tony Macvean, managing partner at law firm Hall &amp; Wilcox and a Committee of Melbourne board member, didn't sell his three-bedroom warehouse conversion on Richmond Hill under the hammer at weekend auction.
It was passed in at $1.1 million. But elsewhere Richmond agents secured under the hammer sales sales in 12 of their 14 weekend offerings, while the suburb's star AFL forward Jack Riewoldt was in Sydney kicking his bag of 11 goals against the GWS team.
Macvean and Amy Carroll bought the then newly converted property at 6/10 Waltham Place (pictured above) as a family home in 2004 for $780,000. And after it was passed in at a reserve of $1,215,000, post auction negotiations actually took the selling price to $265,000 above the reserve, according to the buyers' agent Frank Valentic.
They have rented it out more recently, initially in 2008 at around $780 a week. They are selling it to purchase a beach shack at Wye River.
The three-level property comes with two living areas. The second terrace has city views taking in the famous Pelaco sign. There is basement parking for two cars.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.bigginscott.com.au/property/details/17129" target="_blank">Julie Taylor of Biggin &amp; Scott</a> expected $1.2 million-plus.
<a href="/news">Richmond</a>'s weekend sales ranged between $285,000 to $1.19 million. The cheapest had been tipped to fetched $270,000 plus.
The top sale was another warehouse apartment, this one sold by Marek Olech, of Nelson Alexander, who was quoting $980,000 to $1.05 million for <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-richmond-116833807" target="_blank">3 Stewart Place</a> (pictured below) which was bought as a shell about 12 years ago. It has three bedrooms and top-floor open-plan living-dining with a terrace featuring MCG and city views. It came with a home office, dumb waiter and tandem garage.
<img src="/images/2014/05/26/richmond%20may%2026%20two.jpg" alt="">
The most popular suburb for auction listings at the weekend in metro Melbourne was <a href="/news">Glen Iris</a> in the inner east with 25.
There were 19 auctions including <a href="/news">South Yarra</a>, <a href="/news">Brighton</a> and <a href="/news">Northcote</a> in the north east.
<a href="/news">Preston</a> in the north east had 17 auctions listed followed by <a href="/news">Bentleigh East</a> in the inner south with 16.
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Better than Jack's 11, Richmond scores with 12 weekend residential sales

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Hawthorn AFL player Grant Birchall has secured $652,000 for his apartment in Hawthorn East through Jellis Craig agent Kevin O’Brien.
The Hawthorn defender bought the two floor apartment for about $518,000 in 2007. <a href="https://www.jelliscraig.com.au/property/HAWTHORN-EAST-3/765-Burwood-Road/6718251/#.U1nufVxK7u0" target="_blank">It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and two car places</a>.
Title Tattle gleans he spent around $1.4 million on his recent four bedroom Glen Iris house purchase also through Jellis Craig.
The two-time AFL premiership player re-signed late last year with Hawthorn until the end of the 2017 season.
He grew up in <a href="/news">Shearwater</a>, a small beachside town outside Devonport in Tasmania.
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Hawk Grant Birchall sells Hawthorn East flat as he upgrades to Glen Iris house

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Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury has yet to sell his former Albert Park abode (pictured above), after it was passed in at weekend auction on a $1.5 million vendor bid.
<a href="https://www.greghockingrealestate.com.au/real-estate/property/717835/for-sale/house/vic/albert-park-3206/23-boyd-street/" target="_blank">The unfurnished three bedroom house </a>was among the 330 auctions across 158 suburbs on the Anzac Day weekend where the highest sale was 14 Hannaslea Street, Box Hill (pictured below) at $1.36 million.
<img src="/images/2014/04/28/BOX%20HILLE%20APRIL%2028%20ONE.jpg" alt="">
Pendlebury purchased the double-fronted Victorian house at 23 Boyd Street in late 2011 for $1.3 million, as he moved from <a href="/news/vic/scott-pendlebury-secures-newport-cottage-offer">Newport</a>.
On initial results, the REIV reported a clearance rate of 69%, the same rate as this weekend last year. It was 70% on the pre-Easter Saturday this year.
There were 242 auctions reported to the REIV taking the total this year to nearly 7,500 homes sold by auction with an average clearance rate of 71%. 
Next weekend the REIV expects about 830 auctions, Enzo Raimondo the REIV chief said. Then 10/11 May with 670 auctions and 17/18 May with 650 auctions.
The busiest auction locations were Epping (eight auctions), Carnegie (five auctions), and Rye (five auctions).
The number of auctions this week was lower than the 10-year average of 517 auctions per week in April due to the timing of Anzac Day. 
The REIV has noted clearance rates have trended lower since the beginning of the year although the number of transactions so far this year is about four percent higher than his time last year.
With his fiancee Alex Davis, Scott Pendlebury is now looking to buy something larger, possibly in much the same neighbourhood.
Pendlebury attended the recent no-bid auction on Nelson Road, South Melbourne (pictured below), a double-fronted five bedroom, three level Edwardian that was renovated a couple of years ago by architect Dean Lewis with interiors designed by Kerry Phelan. It has been listed with as yet unrealised $4.5 million hopes.
<img src="/images/2014/04/15/south%20melbourne%20april%2015.jpg" alt="">
Pendlebury's current three bedroom home has another bedroom in a self-contained studio at the rear.
John Holdsworth, of Greg Hocking Holdsworth, was quoting $1.5 million plus in the auction guidance on the prize corner holding with central living/dining space featuring dado panelling. 
In the meantime the narrower two bedroom cottage diagonally opposite <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-albert+park-116700439" target="_blank">has popped for May 10 auction</a>.
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Scott Pendlebury's off field Albert Park Anzac Day weekend offering passed in

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Geelong premiership player Tom Hawkins has sold his restored 1920s investment property at Geelong West.
Belafonte, the three bedroom 146 Hope Street house had rear open-plan living and dining, deck and landscaped yard.
It sold through Lee Botsios and Brock Grainger of Fletchers, who while quoting $460,000 to $480,000, secured a $452,000 sale price.
Property Observer understands that Tom Hawkins paid around $410,000 in 2009.
After the sale, the property became available earlier this year for lease at $410 a week asking rental through Release Property Management Geelong, reflecting a 4.7% rental yield.
Hawkins' last asking rental, when it came available in late 2012, was $370 a week. 
RP Data puts <a href="/news">the suburb's median house price</a> at a record $442,500.
The house was marketed as conserving its many vintage interior features, while adding contemporary polished concrete floors to make a house with well-proportioned rooms and indoor and outdoor living/entertaining spaces.
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Geelong forward Tom Hawkins sells Geelong West investment house

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Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury is selling his Albert Park abode.
Pendlebury purchased the double-fronted Victorian house at 23 Boyd Street in late 2011 for $1.3 million, as he moved from <a href="/news/vic/scott-pendlebury-secures-newport-cottage-offer">Newport</a>.
With his fiancee Alex Davis, he is now looking to buy something larger, possibly in much the same neighbourhood.
Pendlebury attended the recent no-bid auction of 164-166 Nelson Road, South Melbourne (pictured below), a double-fronted five bedroom, three level Edwardian that was renovated a couple of years ago by architect Dean Lewis with interiors designed by Kerry Phelan. It has been listed with as yet unrealised $4.5 million hopes.
<img src="/images/2014/04/15/south%20melbourne%20april%2015.jpg" alt="">
Pendlebury's current three bedroom home has another bedroom in a self-contained studio at the rear.
John Holdsworth, of Greg Hocking Holdsworth, is quoting $1.5 million plus for the 26 April auction.
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Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury lists Albert Park abode

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Delisted AFL premiership player Darren Jolly and his wife Deanne are the mystery couple on the next series of The Block, the office block conversion currently underway in High Street, Prahran.
The Sunday Herald Sun, normally compliant with the Channel 9 demands for embargoed Block secrecy, broke the revelation on the weekend, having earlier alluded to a retired sportstar being a contestant.
Last month the couple sold <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-surrey+hills-116232795" target="_blank">their self-renovated Edwardian era Surrey Hills</a> home ahead of the scheduled auction.
It was renovated by the ruckman on days off and after training, along with designs by his fashionista wife.
Last year Jolly completed his building and construction certificate four at night school. The couple paid $1.35 million in 2010.
It was joked among his then Collingwood AFL teammates of his growing interest in renovation and property development
But it was actually Heath Shaw, the former Magpies defender now at GWS, who suggested that he wouldn't mind taking on a spot on The Block.
"I would really enjoy that and I know Darren Jolly is into his home renovations, I could get big Dazza and do all the co-ordination stuff and he could do the building,'' Shaw said in the lead-up to the listing of his then recently completed Kew East home.
Paul Richards, <a href="/news/off-field-top-marks-for-retired-ruck-man-darren-jolly-in-renovated-surrey-hills-cottage">the Bekdon Richards listing agent</a>, described the Jolly's three bedroom cottage renovation as one of the best he’d seen in 13 years in real estate.
Their 1910 house on 450 square metres had period features including high ceilings, stained glass and original fireplaces as well as for contemporary comforts such as refrigerated cooling and ducted heating. 
Just two doors along - another three bedroom 1910 cottage on 410 square metres last sold at $1.1 million in 2007 - sold ahead of its scheduled March auction too. Both recent sale prices have been undisclosed.
<a href="/news">The current Surrey Hills median house price sits at a record $1.28 million</a>, according to RP Data.
There was a $2.15 million sale of a renovated five bedroom cottage on 845 square metres set the street record last November.
The former Collingwood, Sydney and Melbourne ruckman, a two-time premiership player and reluctant 2013 AFL retiree, is St Kilda's part-time ruck coach.
A silly rumour prank that the ruckman was set to to play with the Bonbeach side during 2014, is seemingly set to come to fruition this Friday.
After hearing the rumour, the Bonbeach Sharks president Reece Murphy phoned Jolly who both started to think about it.
At this stage, Jolly has agreed to play only one game with Bonbeach - on Good Friday, when the Sharks host reigning premiers EdiAsp, according to the local paper, the Frankston Standard Leader.
Presumably The Block cameras will be there to cover it, confidentially.
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Former AFL ruckman Darren Jolly sells Surrey Hills and joins The Block Prahran

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The St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt didn't jag a buyer when his contemporary South Melbourne townhouse home went to weekend auction, but sold shortly after at an undisclosed price.
Their was definite latent buying interest, but with hands in their pockets, the only bid was the $1.6 million vendor bid.
Melbourne agents secured a healthy 72.3% weekend clearance rate, according to Australian Property Monitors, against a revised 71.7% tally for the previous weekend.
The sold Riewoldt property was listed through Marshall White agent Michael Paproth who expected more than $1.6 million at the auction which was attended by Nick's father Joe.
<img src="/images/2014/04/14/riewoldt%20april%2014.jpg" alt="">
Photo: Nick Reiwoldt's South Melbourne townhouse goes to weekend auction.
It cost around $1.2 million in 2009, in the project undertaken by Linara Property Developments.
Building began in 2007 with 32 three-storey town houses on the corner of Cecil and Dorcas streets, the suburb's largest housing development in decades was constructed on the site of an old service station and some Uniting Church land. 
The town houses were spread over four blocks, with one facing Dorcas Street, another Cecil Street and two internal blocks. There were 16 townhouse designs, with five-metre or six-metre frontages and floor plans ranging from 195 square metres to 335 square metres. All within walking distance of South Melbourne Market and the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre and about a minute's walk to the South Melbourne light-rail station.
The Mrocki developer family have also undertaken The Victoria on Beaconsfield project, Maxx at St Kilda in a joint venture, and Linx in Prahran. Linara Projects Group was founded by brothers Leon and Harry Mrocki since coming from trade backgrounds having developed more than 1000 apartments in Melbourne during the past 20 years.
Marketed as a substantial contemporary residence, <a href="/news/st-kilda-champion-nick-riewoldt-lists-leafy-contemporary-south-melbourne-home">the Riewoldt abode</a> comes with downstairs bedroom with en suite, that would work as a home office.
There are three further bedrooms on the first floor including the main bedroom featuring balcony, retreat zone and double shower en suite.
The top floor living/dining areas has polished floors that flow to a balcony with city views.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlbANSD1Sko" target="_blank">It comes with video</a> marketing campaign.
{qtube vid:=mlbANSD1Sko}
The nine year Saints captain, who is married to Catherine Heard, has apparently bought the large Brighton family home by private treaty in late February.
It was among 1,261 weekend offerings in Melbourne with an $870 million worth of stock, including around $640 million in houses set to be offered under the hammer and $230 million worth of apartments.
Australian Property Monitors research assistant Neil Tan advised that this weekend's offerings was some 142% higher than the same weekend last year. 
Melbourne's 1,277 auctions this Saturday was its fourth weekend above 1,000 this year with about 450 units and 810 houses for scheduled auction.
Melbourne's median weekend for house prices was $737,000 and the median unit price was $520,000, based on the initial 994 initial results.
That's much higher than the typical $568,000 Melbourne median for houses and the median for typical $420,000 Melbourne units.
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